BEIJING, China – China has expelled two of its highest-ranking military officials from the Communist Party and the armed forces after an investigation accused them of corruption, political disloyalty and other serious disciplinary violations.
The two generals are Zhang Youxia, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and member of the Communist Party’s Politburo, and Liu Zhenli, a former member of the commission and chief of its Joint Staff Department.
The Politburo approved the handling of their cases at a meeting Monday, according to China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The cases involving alleged criminal offenses were transferred to military prosecutors for further examination and prosecution.
Zhang and Liu had been under investigation since January. China’s Defense Ministry announced last month that both had been removed from the Central Military Commission.
China accuses generals of political and financial misconduct
Chinese authorities said the investigation found that both men had seriously violated political and organizational rules.
The allegations included forming factions, being disloyal and dishonest toward the Communist Party, using their positions to help others obtain promotions and accepting large amounts of money and gifts.
The official disciplinary statement also accused them of failing to properly supervise relatives and close staff members. Chinese authorities said their alleged political and economic misconduct were intertwined and described the amounts involved as exceptionally large.
The accusations are official findings by Chinese authorities. The public statements reviewed do not provide a detailed accounting of the alleged transactions or identify the individuals who allegedly benefited from the generals’ positions.
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Zhang’s removal reaches the top of China’s military hierarchy
Zhang’s expulsion is particularly significant because of his position in China’s military leadership.
He served as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, the body responsible for overall command of the People’s Liberation Army. He was also a member of the Politburo.
Before his removal, Zhang was widely regarded as the second-highest-ranking military official under President Xi Jinping.
Liu held a different but important operational position as chief of the CMC Joint Staff Department. His responsibilities placed him within the senior command structure of the People’s Liberation Army.
Both therefore occupied senior positions within the military system before their investigations became public.
Investigations began in January
The disciplinary process has unfolded over several months.
China announced in January that Zhang and Liu were being investigated for suspected serious violations of discipline and law. The pair were subsequently removed from the state Central Military Commission in August.
The latest decision formalizes their expulsion from the Communist Party and military service.
Their Party expulsions still require formal ratification by a full meeting of the Communist Party Central Committee, according to the disciplinary authorities. Their alleged criminal cases have meanwhile been sent to military procuratorial authorities for legal review and prosecution.
Military purge continues
The action against Zhang and Liu follows a series of investigations and removals involving senior Chinese military officials.
China’s military has been a major target of President Xi Jinping’s broader anti-corruption campaign, which has also affected senior defense officials and members of the Central Military Commission.
The latest cases differ in one notable respect: Chinese authorities explicitly accused Zhang and Liu of political disloyalty and factional activity in addition to financial corruption and abuse of office.
The official disciplinary statement said they had “seriously violated political discipline and political rules” and had formed factions within the Party.
That language places the allegations within China’s broader system of Party discipline rather than treating the cases solely as conventional corruption investigations.
What happens next
The cases now move from Party and military disciplinary proceedings toward the military legal system.
Chinese authorities said the alleged criminal matters would be examined and prosecuted by military prosecutors. The final legal outcome will depend on that process.
The expulsions also come ahead of a scheduled Communist Party Central Committee plenum from Oct. 26 to 29. The Politburo said its Sept. 21 meeting focused on Party governance and discipline in preparation for that gathering.
For now, the immediate consequence is clear: two of the most senior figures in China’s military leadership have been removed following investigations that authorities say uncovered both financial misconduct and violations of political discipline.
The allegations against them remain claims made through China’s official disciplinary and legal process until the subsequent proceedings establish the relevant criminal findings.
Reporting Credit: Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Commission of Supervision of China — official disciplinary findings and disposition of the cases; Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China — official confirmation of the generals’ removal from the Party and military; Xinhua News Agency — official reports on the Politburo decision and military disciplinary proceedings.
